Jet2 boss: ‘We'll commit dedicated trade resource to launching Liverpool’
James ChappleJet2.com and Jet2holidays will commit dedicated resource to launching flights and holidays from its new Liverpool base – its 11th – to agents in Liverpool, the North West and north Wales, chief executive Steve Heapy has told TTG.
The airline and operator on Tuesday (16 May) confirmed it would base four aircraft at Liverpool John Lennon airport next summer, with flights due to get under way on 28 March 2023 – just in time for the Easter getaway.
Jet2’s first flight out of Liverpool will be to Tenerife, with the company set to offer 20 destinations in total. These include mainland Spain, the Canaries and the Balearics, as well as Greece, Turkey, Bulgaria, Portugal and Cyprus. Seven of the routes are brand new to Liverpool airport.
"Everyone is extremely excited about having our product come to the Greater Liverpool catchment area," said Heapy. "The reason we looked to Liverpool was because of the demand – demand from the airport, the customers who live in the catchment area, and the independent travel agents that serve this area.
"It’s a huge catchment area that goes from north Wales into Cheshire and extends right up to Cumbria. A lot of people want to travel from Liverpool airport, and currently do, but they don’t have a real package holiday product here. We’re able to supply that in addition to flight-only. We’re very happy to meet that demand."
Heapy said the Jet2holidays trade team, led by director of travel trade relationships Alan Cross, was already busy contacting agents in the area. "I think we’ll have dedicated resource for this catchment area," Heapy continued.
"It’s not a new catchment area really, we know a lot of the agents already, but I hope we will be getting much closer to them and doing a lot more business with them over the next few months and years so it follows that they will need support from us."
"One of the big reasons we decided to announce Liverpool was the incredible demand from travel agents over the months and years. The voices from Liverpool were very loud and we know we will have the support of our independent travel agents partners. We’re looking forward to working very closely with them."
Pausing to address the trade directly, Heapy said: "I’d like to thank them for their support, their resilience over the past three years and the fact they’ve responded by adapting their business models. That’s why we’re seeing a resurgence in high street travel agents, and that’s fantastic.
"Stay positive, keep talking to us, and between us, we will continue to grow and create sustainable, growing and profitable business for us all."
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James Chapple
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